Eastern Europe sweeps the board for cheapest city breaks

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Eight of the ten cheapest destinations for a European city break this spring are in Eastern Europe.

This is according to the Post Office’s annual City Costs Barometer, which ranks 35 of the continent’s short break hotspots on the price of a two-night stay in three-star accommodation and the associated costs of a city getaway, including food, drink and sightseeing.

Warsaw, Poland, included in the survey for the first time, took the top spot with a weekend’s cost totting up to £113.22. Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital, came second, with a total cost of £114.93, while Budapest in Hungary completed the podium, with a cost of £122.99.

Moscow ranked ninth in the reportCredit:
Fotolia/AP

While the pound continues its descent against the euro from the highs of last summer, when £1 was worth €1.44 (it is now closer to €1.27), and with the upcoming Brexit referendum expected to hurt the currency further, British holidaymakers can find the best value in the east. Lisbon and Athens were the only Western European cities to rank in the top 10, coming in sixth (with a total cost of £134.75) and tenth (£148.92) respectively.

Moscow ranked ninth in the list as the ruble was one of only two currencies in the survey to have fallen against the pound compared to last year. The other was the Norwegian krone.

The research also showed that British visitors will find their city breaks more expensive this year in four fifths of the destinations surveyed, with rising prices and sterling’s slide responsible.

Prices have risen 15 per cent in Barcelona (£279.96 and 26th), 17.2 per cent in Vienna (£216.63/19th) and 17.5 per cent in Venice (£282.71/27th).

Andrew Brown, from the Post Office, said: “Our research found wide variations in costs between cities, and those people prepared to swap can make their pounds stretch further by choosing a cheaper capital like Warsaw or Lisbon.”

Stockholm was the most expensive city surveyed, with a weekend break costing £325.44, while London ranked 29th, with a cost of £299.65.

Western Europe's cheapest city break, LisbonCredit:
Fotolia/AP

Paris ranked 24th, with the price 1.4 per cent higher than it was last year, at £264.96.